Time-indicator for railway-trains.



H. W. NUSBAUM.

TIME INDICATOR FOR RAILWAY TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED on. n. 1916.

1,221,360 Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

HARRY W. NUSBAUM, OF MOUNT AIRY, MARYLAND.

TIME-INDICATOR FOB, RAILWAY-TRAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed. October 11, 1916. Serial No. 125,028.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY WV. NUsBAUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Airy, in the county of Carroll and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Indicators for Railway-Trains, of which the fol lowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to railway operation and particularly to means for reducing the chances of rear end collisions. It is the practice at the present time when a train stops between stations from any cause for a flagman to go back up the track for a certain distance, place a torpedo on the track, and wait at this point until he has received the signal from the train to return. if he returns he leaves the torpedo and the next following train running over the torpedo explodes it, thus indicating to the engineer that the previous train has stopped at this point, is consequently delayed, and that he must "run with caution. It will be seen that this signal does not tell the engineer of the second train when the train ahead was de layed or stopped, how long it stopped, nor when it moved forward and, therefore, how far ahead the first train is and, therefore,

does not indicate whether there is or is not need for extreme caution or whether he may run with but little caution.

Oftentimes also the flagman is not signaled to return to his train but is left to be a picked up by the next following train and if, for instance, he goes back up the track and around a curve where his train is out of sight, he may not even know that his train has left or when it left and thus can give no information 01' but little information to the engineer of the next following train.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a time indicating device which may be left on the track either by the flagman when he returns to his train or by the conductor of a train which has stopped, which device will show the time that the first train left after its stoppage and thus indicate to the engineer of the second train whether he need run with extreme care or not.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the time of starting the first train may be readily indicated by simply removing certain printed leaves from a pad of such leaves attached to a supporting standard, thus leavother only at their upper ing exposed numerals indicating the time of departure.

A further object is to provide a pad holder and support which is so formed that it may be engaged with the track at the'joint of rails or with the head of the rail and which may be folded into small compass for transportation.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my time indicator with the standard folded;

Fig. 2 is a face view of the indicator unfolded and applied to a rail, the rail being in section;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the indicator and a side elevation of the rail as shown in Fig. 2..

Fig. 4 is a crosssectionalview of a rail with the indicator-applied thereto in a different manner; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of Fig. 4. I

My device comprises a pad or time calendar and a support for the same. This support is designated 10 and is preferably made of thin strap iron which may be readily bent and which yet will have the requisite degree of rigidity. At the lower end of this standard there is a transverse bar 11. also formed of pliable strap iron. To the upper end of the standard is attached a thin plate of metal or other suitable material designated 12 and I have illustrated this plate as attached to the standard by means of a rivet, though it is obvious that it may be detachably connected to the standard.

The pad which is attached in any suitable manner to the plate 12 is composed preferably of three sets of leaves designated 13, the set A indicating the hour, and the sets B and O of leaves designating minutes. These leaves are preferably attached to each ends and may be perforated or otherwise formed so that they may be readily torn away. The leaves of the set A have thereon the numerals 1 to 12. The leaves of the set B have thereon the numerals O to 5, and the leaves of the set C have thereon the numerals from 0 to 9. It will be obvious now that by tearing away the leaves, any combination of numerals may be displayed which will indicate the time of departure of the train. Thus, as indicated in Fig. 2, the leaves of the calendar pad have been torn away so as to indicate the time 1:05.

WVhen this signaling or indicating device is not in actual use on the track, the standard 10 is intended to be folded, as indicated in Fig. 1, upon the back 12 so as to take up little room and make the device easy to be carried by the trainmen. In actual practice the back 12 will be approximately eighteen inches long by five inches wide, but it is of course obvious that these dimensions may be changed if desired. When the device is to be applied to a track it may be used either at the joint of a rail or on the head of the rail. In Figs. 2 and 3 I have shown the device as applied to the rail joint. In this case the lower extremity of the"- standard 10 is inserted in the joint and forced down firmly until the cross bar 11, which may be slightly curved, rests upon the upper face of the. rail. In Fig. 4, however, I show another manner of supporting the device upon a rail and in this case the standard 10 is angularly bent so as to rest flat upon the head of the rail and the cross bar 11 has its arms bent down to embrace the head of the rail. Either one of these methods may be used for holding the device in position.

' While I have illustrated the form of my invention which I believe to be particularly simple and yet effective, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown as it is obvious that other means may be provided for supporting the time indicating pad or calendar in place on the rail where it will be obvious to the engineer of an approaching train. 7

As will be obvious in the practical operation of my invention, the fiagman or the conductor leaves this indicating device in position when the train starts, having previously torn ofl'the leaves to indicate the starting time. The engineer of an approach-' ing train which has been signaled by the usual torpedo knows that he will be liable to see this signal and, therefore, slows down and when he sees the indicating device stops his train, takes up the indicating device, and, knowingthe starting time of the'other train,

. that is, the time at which the other train left this particular point, is able to estimate approximately how far ahead the other train is and cangovernhis movements accordingly. The, device is particularly valuable when running in fog. Many rear end collisions take place at this time. The train ahead may have had to stop on account of cautionary or danger signals on the block and then move on but a short distance and the engineer of an approaching train, while warned by the torpedo that there is a train ahead, may fancy that the train is sufliciently far ahead for him to take a chance and moves forward so rapidly that he crashes into the train ahead without ime to put on his brakes. This is obviated by my invention as the engineer of the second train will be fully warned as to the time at which the train ahead left this point. Even at night the headlight of the second train will make the indicating device plainly visible and even if the engineer of the second train overruns this device it is of such light and thin metal that it will not derail the train but will be simply crushed or thrown aside.

While I have illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4- a time pad having three sets of leaves, it will be obvious that onlv two sets of leaves need be used, the second set R having numerals thereon indicating five minute intervals. I believe, however, that three sets of leaves will be more convenient and will indicate the time with so. much greater accuracy as to be much better for the purpose than a pad having only two sets of leaves. F urthermore it will be obvious that the shank 10 may be inserted in the joint of the rail with the cross bar 11 also in the joint to prevent the device from being twisted when in place, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A time indicator for railway trains comprising a standard of thin sheet metal,

and means mounted upon the standard for engaging a railway rail to support the standard in a vertical position, and pads attached to the standard and each comprising a plurality ofleaves having time indicating numerals thereon.

2. A time indicator for railway trains comprising a standard of relatively thin pliable sheet metal, a cross bar of thin pliable metal, a back plate attached to the standard, and pads attached to the back plate and each comprising a plurality of leaves having time indicating numerals thereon.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

v HARRY IV. NUSBAUM. lVitnesses B. C. LEATHERWOOD, HARRY R. Znrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

